Passenger support and methods of use
A passenger support includes vehicle seat having a seat base mounted to a track for sliding the seat base longitudinally. A sliding motion controller is provided. The seat base is movable from a slid-back configuration to a forward-seating configuration when the sliding motion controller is activated.
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This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/303,351, filed Mar. 3, 2016, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUNDThe present disclosure relates to vehicle seats, and particularly to movable vehicle seats. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to motion-control mechanisms included in movable vehicle seats.
SUMMARYAccording to the present disclosure, a passenger support for a vehicle includes a foundation frame configured to be coupled to a vehicle. A vehicle seat including a seat base is mounted to the foundation frame for sliding movement between a slid-back configuration and a slid-forward configuration. The seat base is configured to move from a horizontal-use configuration to a tilted configuration.
In illustrative embodiments, the passenger support further includes a sliding motion controller. The sliding motion controller blocks the seat base from moving to the slid-forward configuration when the sliding motion controller is deactivated. The seat base is movable toward the slid-forward configuration when the sliding motion controller is activated.
In illustrative embodiments, the passenger support further includes a pivoting motion controller. The pivoting motion controller blocks the seat base from moving from the horizontal-use configuration to the tilted configuration when the pivoting motion controller is deactivated. The seat base is movable to the tilted configuration when the pivoting motion controller is activated. A locking mechanism is configured to lock the seat base in the tilted configuration as the seat base is moved to the slid-forward configuration.
Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of illustrative embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.
The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:
An illustrative middle-row passenger support 10 for use in a vehicle 12 in accordance with the present disclosure includes a foundation frame 14 coupled to a floor 15 of the vehicle 12 and a vehicle seat 16 mounted on the foundation frame 14 as shown, for example, in
Vehicle seat 16 includes a seat back 38, a seat bottom 40, and a seat base 42 that are each movable so that vehicle seat 16 can be reconfigured from the passenger-use configuration to the easy-entry configuration as shown in
Referring to
The seat base 42 includes a slide 60 that translates along the track 28 in the direction of arrows 11 and 13. In the slid-back configuration, the slide 60 is positioned at the rear ramp 30 and locked by a slide latch 62, which blocks movement of the slide 60 along the track 28. The seat base 42 includes a forward base 64 and a rear base 66 coupled to the slide 60. The rear base 66 includes a rear latch 68 that may be activated to release the seat base 42 into a tilted configuration as shown in
A handle 72 is coupled to the forward base 64 to actuate the lock lever 70. In one example, the lock lever 70 is also coupled to a longitudinal motion controller 74 that is configured to control and sometimes limit a sliding motion of the seat base 42. The longitudinal motion controller 74 includes a forward tab 76 and a rear tab 78. When the seat base 42 is slid along the track 28, at least one of the forward tab 76 and the rear tab 78 of the longitudinal motion controller 74 may engage the forward ramp 32 to control the sliding motion of the seat base 42. At least one of the forward tab 76 or the rear tab 78 may engage a stopper 80 of the forward ramp 32.
A forward end 82 of the handle 72 is actuated upward in the direction of arrow 17 so that a rear end 84 of the handle 72 pivots downward in the direction of arrow 19 and engages the lock lever 70 as shown, for example, in
By releasing the rear latch 68, the seat base 42, and consequently the vehicle seat 16, may be tilted about the forward base 64 as suggested in
A lock 94 engages a pin 96 on the seat base 42 as the vehicle seat 16 is moved into the tilted configuration as shown in
The process for returning the middle-row passenger support 10 back to the passenger-use configuration is shown starting with
The unlocking link 90 is released from the lock lever 70 as the vehicle seat 16 is rotated from the tilted configuration to the horizontal-use configuration as shown in
By actuating the handle 72, the lock lever 70 engages the slide latch 62, thereby unlocking the slide 60 from the track 28. Concurrently, the longitudinal motion controller 74 is rotated so that the forward tab 76 of the longitudinal motion controller 74 is disengaged from the stopper 80 of the forward ramp 32. In this configuration, the vehicle seat 16 may be returned to the slid back configuration by longitudinally translating the slide 60 along the track 28 in the direction of arrow 13. After being returned to the slid back configuration, the handle 72 may be released to release the lock lever 70 from the slide latch 62, thereby locking the slide 60 to the track 28 with the vehicle seat 16 in the original passenger-use configuration.
Passenger vehicles often include a front-row passenger support, a middle-row passenger support, and a back-row passenger support. The middle-row passenger support may include a frame coupled to the vehicle and a vehicle seat mounted on the frame that moves between a passenger-use configuration and an easy-entry configuration. In the easy-entry configurations, the vehicle seat provides additional space behind the vehicle seat and in front of the back-row passenger support. Such extra space may be useful for a passenger entering/exiting the back-row passenger support or manipulating items behind the vehicle seat of the middle-row passenger support.
Claims
1. A passenger support comprising
- a foundation frame configured to be coupled to a vehicle,
- a vehicle seat including a seat base mounted to the foundation frame for sliding movement between a slid-back configuration and a slid-forward configuration, the seat base configured to move from a horizontal-use configuration to a tilted configuration,
- a sliding motion controller configured to block the seat base from moving to the slid-forward configuration when the sliding motion controller is deactivated and to allow the seat base to move toward the slid-forward configuration when the sliding motion controller is activated,
- a pivoting motion controller configured to block the seat base from moving from the horizontal-use configuration to the tilted configuration when the pivoting motion controller is deactivated and to allow the seat base to move to the tilted configuration when the pivoting motion controller is activated,
- a locking mechanism configured to lock the seat base in the tilted configuration as the seat base is moved to the slid-forward configuration, and
- a longitudinal motion controller including a forward tab and a rear tab,
- wherein the sliding motion controller comprises a handle that engages the longitudinal motion controller when the sliding motion controller is activated to cause the rear tab to tilt downwardly and engage a stopper when the seat base is moved from the slid-back configuration to a forward-seating configuration between the slid-back configuration and the slid-forward configuration.
2. The passenger support of claim 1, wherein the forward tab of the longitudinal motion controller is tilted away from the stopper when the handle engages the longitudinal motion controller so that the seat base is moveable to the forward-seating configuration.
3. The passenger support of claim 2, wherein the rear tab of the longitudinal motion controller engages the stopper at the forward-seating configuration when the sliding motion controller is activated.
4. The passenger support of claim 3, wherein the pivoting motion controller is activated when the seat base is in the forward-seating configuration to move the seat base to the tilted configuration.
5. The passenger support of claim 4, wherein activating the pivoting motion controller to move the seat base into the tilted configuration disengages the rear tab of the longitudinal motion controller from the stopper so that the seat base is moveable to the slid-forward configuration.
6. The passenger support of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a locking hook and a pin and the locking hook is rotated into engagement with the pin in the tilted configuration to retain the seat base in the tilted configuration.
7. The passenger support of claim 6, wherein the locking mechanism further comprises a cam that locks the locking hook into engagement with the pin.
8. The passenger support of claim 7, further comprising a roller coupled to the cam, the roller engaging a forward ramp of the foundation frame when the seat base is moved from the slid-forward configuration to the forward-seating configuration, the roller rotating the cam to unlock the locking hook so that the seat base is movable from the tilted configuration to the horizontal-use configuration.
9. The passenger support of claim 1, wherein the seat base further comprises a slide that longitudinally moves along a track of the foundation frame.
10. The passenger support of claim 9, further comprising a slide latch to lock the slide to the track of the foundation frame.
11. The passenger support of claim 10, wherein the sliding motion controller engages the slide latch to unlock the slide from the track of the foundation frame.
12. The passenger support of claim 11, wherein the sliding motion controller engages the longitudinal motion controller concurrently with the lock lever to cause the rear tab to tilt downwardly and to engage the stopper when the seat base is in a forward-seating configuration.
13. The passenger support of claim 1, wherein the forward tab and the rearward tab are each mounted to the foundation frame for pivotable movement about a longitudinal motion controller axis relative to one another.
14. A method of moving a passenger support between a passenger-use configuration and an easy entry configuration comprising the steps of
- activating a sliding motion controller to move a seat base relative to a foundation frame from a slid-back configuration to a forward-seating configuration,
- activating a pivoting motion controller to move the seat base from a horizontal-use configuration to a tilted configuration when the seat base is in the slid-back seating configuration,
- locking the seat base in the tilted configuration, and
- sliding the seat base to a slid-forward configuration when the seat base is locked in the tilted configuration,
- wherein the seat base further comprises a slide that longitudinally moves along a track of the foundation frame when the seat base is in the horizontal-use configuration and a slide latch to lock the slide to the track of the foundation frame when the sliding motion controller is deactivated and
- wherein, when activated, the sliding motion controller engages concurrently: (i) the slide latch to unlock the slide from the track of the foundation frame, and (ii) a longitudinal motion controller so that the seat base is blocked from sliding forward past the forward-seating configuration until the pivoting motion controller is activated.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Mar 3, 2017
Date of Patent: Nov 19, 2019
Patent Publication Number: 20170253146
Assignee: Faurecia Automotive Seating, LLC (Auburn Hills, MI)
Inventor: Thomas J. Cooley (Lapeer, MI)
Primary Examiner: Theodore V Adamos
Application Number: 15/449,148
International Classification: B60N 2/12 (20060101); B60N 2/90 (20180101);